I talk a bit about the hotel owner who dissed the blogger etc. I also did a tweet thread, which led to this first podcast episode of 2018.
There’s a certain, “Uh. You’re a blogger. Can’t take you seriously.” vibe that I encounter frequently. I bring up my C++ coding days & my B-School education & that somewhat alleviates the assumption. It shouldn’t be necessary though. Blogging is a legitimate business model. It’s a ton of hard work in the early years, especially if you’re from a no-name, not-wealthy, non-glam-industry family. It gets slightly easier, the more time & effort one puts in. Still gotta personally show up. Most of my clients are people who can’t possibly imagine striking out on their own. Just THAT element of my career as a blogger / independent photographer, commands respect. But it doesn’t. Nobody cares. And that’s ok. I got work to do. I get paid for it. That’s enough.
If someone’s dissing me / my work as a blogger, behind my back, I kinda get it. It’s an easy profession to diss. Much envy ensues without the effort to see the hard work behind the scenes. Typing out “Bunch of freebie whores” is easier than employing critical thought. In my experience, after having experimented with all kinds of approaches to deal with unprofessionalism & assholes, the best way to tackle this is to put my head down, continue to do & show my work. Get paid. This is the best, most peaceful answer to naysayers.
In a situation where you begin to get spammed with troll comments online because you said/did something, take a break & go offline. Don’t look at anything. Don’t post anything. Have face-to-face conversation with a lawyer &/ mentor. Breathe. Never forget that trolls love responses. Any response will do. If you are in the business of “online” i.e. blogger/influencer, this simple rule should be “business as usual”. Memorize it & practice it. Do not rise to bait. Ever. Practice is key. The online space might be new but the business of bullying & trolling is not. With human interaction, most principles apply everywhere. Exponentially multiplied effect online because much less effort but the fundamental rules remain the same.
I have been blogging for 14 years now. The expectations of & requests for “please do social media update” for free, continue unabated. Both clients & bloggers/influencers are sick of it. It is frustrating. Unprofessional. Even so, I don’t recommend naming & shaming. I wish I knew the solution to this problem. I am no longer sure that “disclosure” is an answer. A majority of movie / TV celebrities, journalists, print publications, etc., don’t provide disclosure. Why this onus on bloggers then? I call bullshit.
That is all I have to say for now. I live & breathe blogging, so there will be more. I think I’ll talk about it on the podcast after a few days. I don’t have the answers ( not even some of them ), & I got work to do 😉 Email me if you want to discuss! ( ID on bio )
Download Audio-Only here : TNRE71-TheNainaRedhuExperience-Blogging-Freebies
iOS Subscribe on iTunes
Others Subscribe via RSS
YouTube Channel : YouTube.com/NainaRedhu
All Episodes on the blog : naina.co/tnre
